Think from KERA

Imagine a future in which body implants communicate with retailers about our personal preferences for products and services. University of Pennsylvania professor Joseph Turow joins us to talk about how companies monitor our purchases both in-store and online in order to get a better picture of our wants and needs. His new book is called “The Aisles Have Eyes: How Retailers Track Your Shopping, Strip Your Privacy, and Define Your Power” (Yale).

In “The Christians,” a pastor sees his small church grow into a mega-church, inspiring him to deliver a sermon that shakes up his congregation. The Dallas Theater Center opens the play tonight, and director Joel Ferrell joins us to talk about the play’s theme of how religion can both unite and divide. We’ll also be joined by Mark Wingfield, associate pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church, who consulted on the production. “The Christians” runs through Feb. 19 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater.

All this week, public radio stations across Texas are reporting on the state’s use of the death penalty. We’ll talk about how Texas’ use of the punishment compares with other states with Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. And later in the hour, we’ll talk with Tim Cole, an assistant professor at UNT Dallas College of Law who previously served four terms as the District Attorney of Texas for the 97th District.

Who, what, when, where, why and how form the building blocks of the questions we ask. From there, skilled questioners know how to frame questions to get the answers they seek. Frank Sesno joins us to talk about how we should think through what we ask other people. He writes about the topic in “Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change” (AMACOM Books).

We’ve all had symptoms that make us think something is wrong, only to be told by a doctor that everything seems fine. Neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan joins us to talk about what to do when we experience these psychosomatic events – and to explain what our bodies might be trying to tell our minds. Her new book is called “It’s All In Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness” (Other Press).

When a risky investment pays off, we applaud the shrewd move. And when a big bet goes south, we collectively wonder if more regulation is necessary. UCLA law professor Stuart Banner joins us to talk about balancing bold moves and protecting our assets, which he writes about in “Speculation: A History of the Fine Line Between Gambling and Investing” (Oxford University Press).

Teachers are encouraged to promote a love of literacy to students. It’s an important lesson, but it doesn’t give young readers the tools they need to succeed. Cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg joins us to talk about taking a more scientific approach to teaching reading, the subject of his book “Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It” (Basic Books).

About 13 percent of Texans don’t use a bank, going through life without a checking or savings account. University of Pennsylvania professor Lisa Servon joins us to talk about why people choose to go without a bank – and about what banks can do to earn their business. She writes about the topic in “The Unbanking of America: How the New Middle Class Survives” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Every day, medical data is traded among healthcare providers, insurance companies, drug manufacturers and other entities. Adam Tanner joins us to talk about how we can balance the benefits that big data provides while also preserving patient privacy. He writes about the topic in “Our Bodies, Our Data: How Companies Make Billions Selling Our Medical Records” (Beacon Press).

During his campaign, Donald Trump made several trips to Texas. So what did he learn during his trips? As part of NPR’s “A Nation Engaged” inauguration week conversation, we’ll talk about what Texans would like the president-elect to know about our state with William McKenzie of the Bush Institute and O. Ricardo Pimentel, columnist for the San Antonio Express-News.